I have been lucky enough in the last two months to become an Aunty to two healthy little nephews. Having 2 girls myself and 3 little nieces, it is lovely and very exciting to welcome two boys into the family! I can't wait to watch their delightful development and lovely lives unfold, to witness the differences between boys & girls and to learn new things from them. One sadly lives in London - too far away for us to visit anytime soon, but we will get there eventually and until then we will follow his progress through family social media, as you do these days. The other, only two weeks old, luckily just lives two hours away so we are delighted to be able to at least share in the joys of one little cousin's life.

Henry and Charlie, welcome to this wonderful world, welcome to this weird and wonderful family!

Allowing myself to play fairy godmother for just a brief moment, these are my wishes for you...

JOY - I wish you a life filled with Joy... joy in your heart, joy in your world, joy through the hard times you will encounter at some point*.

COURAGE - I wish you Courage... courage to follow your dreams, courage to stand up for yourself, courage to stand up for those less fortunate than yourself.

STRENGTH - I wish you Strength... strength of character, the strength to endure hardships, the strength to be gentle in caring for those you love dearest.

ADVENTURE - I wish you a life filled with Adventure... adventure through stories, adventure in your surroundings, adventures that one day take you out into the big wide world, open your eyes and expand your horizons.

PERSEVERANCE - I wish you the gift of Perseverance... perseverance to master the skills you will need**, perseverance to achieve your goals, perseverance in the face of adversity.

PATIENCE - I wish you Patience... patience in mastering the things that can take a frustratingly long time, patience with people, patience to wait for those things worth waiting for.

GRATITUDE - I wish you a heart filled with Gratitude... gratitude for the life you have been given, gratitude for the wonderful world you have been born into, gratitude for the beauty all around you.

GENEROSITY - I wish you the gift of Generosity... generosity with your friends, generosity with your family, generosity towards those around you in need.

LOVE - More than anything, I wish you a life filled to bursting with Love... may you be raised with love, surrounded by love and spread love wherever you go.

* When in doubt, take your cousin Lucy's advice and just "Smile!!" Believe me, it works wonders.

** If you need any help, your cousin Arabella will show you a thing or two about perseverance!

Henry and Charlie, we look forward to watching you grow into the wonderful young men you will one day become. (Not too soon though, we don't want to rush these things and I need way too many cuddles before then!) You will always have a place to stay with us if your Mummies & Daddies need a break and regardless of how many miles may separate us all, we are your family and will always love you.

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Lovely Lyrics ...

"If the world was mine, I'd tell you what I'd do, I'd wrap the world in ribbons and then give it all to you. I'd teach the birds such lovely words and make 'em sing for you. I'd put the stars right in a jar and give them all to you." - Melody Gardot